Trust Can Break or Build
by EchoResonance
Summary: Maka Albarn is a quiet, reserved person with few friends. When her friend Tsubaki starts branching out in their senior year, Maka hesitantly accopmanies her. But what will she do when a boy she just met learns her most humiliating secret?
1. Foreboding

The obnoxious but admittedly vibrant poster on the wall was about to give me a headache with the screaming loud colors. The words were nearly indistinguishable, but I already knew what it would say. I'd seen posters like this periodically throughout the year, and they always spelled trouble, with a capitol T.

"I don't know Tsubaki…" I said uneasily, looking down at the flyer in my hands.

"C'mon, Maka! It'll be fun!" my friend insisted, blue eyes shining with excitement.

Tsubaki and I were best friends. We had been since a couple of guys were bugging Tsubaki in fourth grade and I had saved the day with a hard cover copy of the book _Eragon_. Tsubaki was tall, with long raven black hair and large indigo eyes that I had always teased her made her as easy to read as an open book. I always felt rather plain next to my best friend; my slight curves overshadowed by Tsubaki's severe hourglass figure, my shoulder-length ashy blonde hair thinner than Tsubaki's midnight mane. The only things I really liked about myself were my eyes; bright, emerald green, an exact copy of my mother's.

Presently Tsubaki was trying to convince me to go a party at one of the senior's homes. The senior in question—a girl named Elisabeth Thompson—was a trouble maker, I knew, and I didn't approve of how much time Tsubaki had been spending with the girl. Everyone knew she drank, that she used to be a street kid that ran around mugging anybody and everybody in dark alleys, that she was no stranger to drugs, that she was two years older than everyone else in their class, and that she'd lost her virginity before she'd started at the high school.

Elisabeth lived with her younger sister Patricia, who I believed to be in Junior High, or she might be a freshman, and a young man by the name of Death the Kid. Who on earth named their kid that? Everyone called him Kid. Kid was at least respectable and mannerly; Elisabeth, who preferred to be called Liz, had no inhibitions, and was entirely shameless. I didn't know about her sister; I'd only ever met her once, and while she seemed completely off her rocker for the most part, she didn't strike me as the wild type. But Elisabeth, on the other hand, most certainly _did_.

"Tsubaki, it just doesn't sound very safe," I insisted.

"It'll be _fine_ Maka!" Tsubaki pressed. "Liz promised there wouldn't be any alcohol!"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. So, just because _Liz_, of all people, promised something, that meant that it was completely and totally true? Then a different voice spoke up from right behind me, making me jump—nearly out of my skin.

"Yeah, it'll be awesome. You gals should _definitely_ come."

I spun around, and came almost nose-to-nose with the notorious BlackStar. Nobody knew his real name; that was all he went by. He was tall, wrapped in steel bands of muscle, and very, _very_ tan. He had wild turquoise hair that was most definitely died and stuck up in every direction, and dark blue eyes. I might have said he was attractive, if not for his tendency to whore himself around the entire school. Behind me, Tsubaki let out a high-pitched giggle that made me want to roll my eyes, and give her a good smack to the face to wake her up from this fan-girl trance that she always entered when the guy was around.

"Hi, BlackStar," she said shyly.

The three-time senior winked, and I didn't have to turn around to know that my best friend had just flushed bright, beet red. Why she had to be crushing on the guy with probably the highest chance of an STD was anyone's guess, and even top student Maka Albarn—_me_—wasn't about to try and solve _that_ puzzle.

"Well, I'll see you girls at the party. It's gonna kick _ass_." And he turned and walked away without so much as a _see ya later_. I shook my head. Boys—men—there was no helping them. They were all manner-less, insane beings that women would be better off without, if we didn't need them to reproduce.

"Ohmygosh, BlackStar _winked _at me!" Tsubaki gushed.

"Yeah, yeah, I saw," I sighed. "Just be glad you can't catch anything from him just by that action."

Tsubaki threw her hands into the air in exasperation.

"Maka, you have got to loosen up some time! Learn to live a little!"

"I'm loose!" I huffed. "I'm just not so desperate to fit in to this anarchy called public high school!"

"Come on, Maka, you _have _to go. It's an end of the year party; we'll never be back after that. Don't you want to have a little _fun_?"

"I have fun!" I said indignantly. Tsubaki gave a very unladylike snort.

"You read in your room in all of your spare time."

"That _is_ fun for me!"

Tsubaki groaned and grabbed my arm, towing me down the school's front steps.

"Live a little, Maka! Come on, we're going shopping. I'm going to find you the perfect outfit for that party, then I'm going to do your hair and makeup, because you _are_ going!"

"Tsubaki—"

"No buts, Maka. You're a senior too, and you will attend just _one_ senior party if I have to hog-tie you, stuff you in the back seat of my car, and drag you kicking and screaming into that house!"

I grimaced because, as I knew full well, my friend rarely bluffed.

_Great_, I thought, _I'm sooo going to regret this._

* * *

I looked at the ensemble Tsubaki laid out for me on her bed.

"Um…where's the rest of the outfit?" I wondered, looking down at the tight, super short bit of clothing that was a few shades darker than my eyes, and several shades too tight. "Y'know, some pants or a skirt or something?"

"Maka, it's a _dress_!" Tsubaki giggled.

I looked at her incredulously, then scrutinized the article of clothing again. It only looked like _part _of a dress. That thing wouldn't even reach the top of my knees!

"Tsubaki, are you serious?" I said in astonishment. "It looks like a skimpy bit of lingerie!"

"It looks great!" she corrected. "Now put it on, and I'll find you some shoes. I've got a pair of strappy stiletto heels that would do wonders for your legs."

She turned and crouched down to rummage through the floor of her closet. I pressed my lips into a line and hesitantly shrugged out of my comfy jeans and t-shirt, and slipped on the "dress".

Oh yeah. I was definitely going to regret this.


	2. First Sight

"Tsubaki, I'm really not sure about this," I said uneasily. The huge imposing mansion loomed over us, half lit in the twilight by pulsating lights from inside.

Loud music blasted through the open door and windows, accompanied by flashing, colored lights. Cars were parked all along the street, mostly empty. Although, there was some movement in a few vehicles that I had no desire to investigate. People were still streaming in through the double front doors. This was a wild party. The kind where nothing good ever, _ever_ happened.

"Come _on_ Maka!" Tsubaki insisted, grabbing my hand and dragging me down the walkway. "Loosen up a little, seriously."

With a long suffering sigh, I followed her into the heart of the chaotic swirl of sound, color and light.

"Hey guys!" Elisabeth shouted over the thumping base. "Glad you could make it! You'll have the time of your lives, I _promise_! Drug-free, beer and wine is in the kitchen, and the music's everywhere. Oh, and the bedrooms are upstairs just in case you get too wasted, or you meet a guy you're hot for." She winked.

"Uh, thanks, Elisabeth," I said, looking daggers at Tsubaki. _No alcohol, huh?_

"Oh, call me Liz, Maka!" she grinned, and Tsubaki towed me away.

"Alright Maka, I'll meet you outside at midnight!" she said happily. "If one of us doesn't show, we'll check inside, and if the other is unconscious or sleeping or something, we'll go ahead and leave."

"But I can't—" I started, but Tsubaki had already vanished into the gyrating crowd. "—drive."

I was old enough to have my driver's license, but I had to bring a parent or guardian figure with me, and as my mama was out traveling the world, that left my obnoxious, overbearing, slutty papa. Unfortunately, papa never expressed much interest in my learning to drive, so on top of him being a man whore who _wouldn't_ drive me to the DMV, he'd never taught me the first thing about driving. And I didn't really want to take him out in public anyway. So, at seventeen, I still couldn't drive. Tsubaki was my ride home, so if anything happened to _her_, I was pretty much screwed. Nevertheless, I may as well enjoy myself before it all went to hell.

I weaved through the crowd, trying to avoid the worst of the vulgar actions. Still, someone managed to get a hand up the short skirt Tsubaki got me, and got slammed into the wall in reward.

"_Pig_," I spat.

A low, amused chuckle caught my attention, and I looked around. The laugh had come from a tall leaning against the wall, with tanned skin and a lean but cut build. He had a lazy stature, but even slouching, he was taller than me by at least half a foot. His hair was shaggy and looked windswept, and such a pale blonde that it was bright white. But his normality took a dive there. His eyes were wide, a shocking shade of burgundy red, and his teeth, just visible in the way he smirked, were sharp and serrated. I raised my eyebrows at the way his red eyes—contacts, surely—traveled leisurely down my body. Inwardly I wished Tsubaki had picked a dress that wasn't so short, so low cut, or so clingy. I felt like a two-bit hooker. But hell if I was going to let some random guy know that he was making me uncomfortable.

"See something you like?" I challenged.

His eyes lifted to meet mine, and his smirk widened into a full-on grin.

"A lot."

I couldn't help the heat that crept into my cheeks. He laughed again, then held out a hand.

"I'm Soul. Soul Evans."

I gave him a bemused look, but shook the hand he offered. Who named their kid Soul?

"Maka Albarn."

"Cool," he grinned, shoving his hands back in his pockets and plopping down in a nearby chair. "Sounds foreign."

"Yeah," I shrugged. "My mama's Japanese."

"Cool," he repeated. He waved a hand at the wild scene around us. "So, are you liking the party?"

I tried to hide my grimace and shrugged. Apparently that amused him; he let out great peals of laughter.

"Who dragged you here?" he said when the laughter subsided.

This time I made no attempt to conceal my scowl.

"My friend Tsubaki."

"Why didn't you tell her you didn't want to come?" he wondered.

"I _did_!" I fumed. "But she insisted that this would be _good_ for me. As if getting publicly groped by strangers and getting wasted in some random person's house is considered _good_."

He frowned and leaned forward slightly.

"If she knew you didn't want to come, then why did she bring you?"

I sighed.

"She's big on trying to fit in and be one in the crowd. She thinks going to a senior party means…well, I don't really know. She thinks this'll help her fit in I guess, and me too."

He cocked his head to the side, reminiscent of a curious puppy.

"And you don't?"

I shrugged again, and sat in a chair beside him.

"I don't really care." I paused to stretch. "I am who I am, and if someone else doesn't like that, that just sucks for them, doesn't it? Never been all that concerned with fitting in."

He considered that for a moment, then gave me what appeared to be a sincere smile.

"That's pretty cool."

I smiled.

"Thanks. I'm glad someone thinks so. Tsubaki thinks I'm ridiculous."

"I've met Tsubaki before," he said thoughtfully. "She never struck me as an overly superficial type."

"Oh, she's not," I answered. "But she had kind of a rough start, and she just wants to feel like she belongs somewhere. She's really sweet, but she doesn't always know what's really best for her."

"Hm…sounds a lot like 'Star," he said, voice contemplative. "Of course, he doesn't try to fit in; he tries to stand out. I can see why he'd dig a girl like Tsubaki."

I blinked, momentarily lost for words.

"BlackStar…_likes_…Tsubaki?" I gasped. Soul grinned and nodded.

"Yeah. I think he was planning on finding her tonight to tell her."

"But—but he—he…" I spluttered.

Soul's eyes flashed, and the friendliness turned to something colder.

"Rumors are what ruin people's lives. Don't believe all the shit you've heard, Albarn. BlackStar, whether you believe it or not, has _not_ slept around the entire school."

I stared at him, amazed.

"So he _hasn't_…you know…"

Soul shook his head.

"…Sorry," I mumbled.

He gave a half-smile.

"Can't help what you've heard, can you? But 'Star really isn't like that. He's actually pretty cool, if a bit crazy. One of my best friends, that kid is."

I smiled softly.

"That's pretty cool."

He frowned.

"What is?"

"How you stood up for your friend," I responded. "I don't know. I just don't see it all that often. Especially in high school."

He snorted. "Yeah, well, high school's either the four best years of a person's life, or the worst. Or, in 'Star's case, the seven best years."

I giggled.

"So, are _you_ liking the party?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"Eh, not really my scene either. I'm only here to watch people make fools of themselves."

I laughed again, then cut off abruptly. What was I doing? I was sitting in a chair right beside some guy I'd just met, at an insane party, talking like we were old friends. Unbidden, my mama's parting words came back to me, and I stood up abruptly.

"Well, see you," I said mechanically.

Soul looked surprised by my sudden switch in demeanor, his scarlet eyes widening slightly.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. See ya," he answered slowly. I turned and squeezed through the throng, feeling his unusual eyes boring holes in the back of my head long after other people must have blocked me from sight.

The night couldn't pass soon enough.


	3. Dark Secret

It was midnight, and I was waiting outside, in the chilly air, _alone_.

"Damnit Tsubaki," I grumbled.

She had never had any alcohol before, and being at a party with a nearly unlimited supply was the dumbest thing I had ever let her do. With her I-must-fit-in complex, she probably drank herself to unconsciousness.

With a loud sigh, I walked back inside, rubbing my arms to try and chase the goosebumps away. I hadn't brought a jacket, because Tsubaki had insisted that I wouldn't need one. The heels were also killing my feet, but I hadn't bothered to take them off yet. Inside, Liz was picking up trash that was strewn across the floor. When I came in, she straightened up and grinned. I smiled back.

"Hey Maka. Have fun?"

Actually, I had. It was fun to watch people that thought they could dance, people that knew they couldn't but did it anyway after a few drinks, and I had enjoyed the music. The overall atmosphere was infectious. Also, I'd actually hung out with Liz, and found she was a pretty cool person. Yeah, she drank, and yes, she used to live on the streets, but she was really funny, and she had a unique way of seeing the world. She was truly very bright, even if it didn't show in her test scores.

"Yeah, I did. Have you seen Tsubaki? She was supposed to meet me outside a few minutes ago."

Liz's grin widened.

"Oh yeah. She's crashed upstairs. Never seen a girl like her drink like a middle-aged man before. It was impressive!"

I groaned.

"She was my ride home."

"Oh, that's not good," Liz said sympathetically, her smile faltering. "I'd offer to take you, but I've been drinking as well, obviously, and I've got to clean up."

I gave a wane half-smile.

"Thanks anyway, but I can walk. I don't live too far."

"You sure?" she said, actually looking concerned.

I shrugged.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for the invite; the party was great."

Liz smiled and nodded in acknowledgement, then left to toss out her armful of bottles and cans into the garbage. I sighed again and walked back outside into the cool night air.

I'd lied when I told Liz I didn't live far. I lived near the Academy, a good six and a half miles from Gallows Manor, and while I was in good shape, six and a half miles in the middle of the night in a crowded city wasn't any teenage girl's idea of a dream night. Still, what other choice did I have? I kicked off my shoes and started off, but I didn't even make it to the foot of the stairs.

"Hey, Albarn!"

I looked around. The guy from earlier, Soul, was hurrying down the steps toward me.

"Um, hi?" I said uncertainly.

He rolled his eyes.

"Liz told me you need a ride."

"I'm alright walki—"

"Where do you live?" he interrupted.

"Uh, down by the City Park. A couple blocks from the Academy. Sunset Boulevard."

"Holy shit, Maka, that's nearly seven miles!" he exclaimed. "You were just going to walk all the way?"

"Well, since I don't have any other way to get home, yeah."

He snorted and took my wrist. His large, calloused hand wrapped completely around it, his fingers overlapping.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

I would've protested, but I really didn't want to walk home on my own. So I allowed him to lead me down the sidewalk, grumbling about the stubbornness of women. However, when he stopped beside a hulking orange motorcycle, I backpedaled, heat starting to creep up my neck.

"No way!" I squeaked.

"Oh, come on, Maka," Soul sighed. "Don't tell me you're more afraid of a motorbike than you are of dark alleys in a big city?"

"I'm not _scared_!" I said indignantly.

"Then what's the problem?"

I flushed and tugged self-consciously at the too-short hem of my dress. If I got on the motorcycle in that, straddling the seat…

Soul seemed to guess my train of thought, or he just noticed the movement, because he smirked. Wasn't he just a ray of sunshine?

"If it makes you feel better, you can sit in front of me."

"Can you still drive like that?" I wondered. His smile widened.

"Definitely. Climb aboard. I promise I'll behave."

I gave him a long, considering look, then sighed and jumped on. With a nearly inaudible chuckle—hyenas laughed less than him—he climbed on behind me. reaching around me, he switched the bike on and took hold of the handlebars.

"Hold on tight!" he shouted over the growl of the engine.

_To what?_ I wondered, but when the bike lunged forward, I grabbed the first things I could. His knees, which were pressed against my thighs because of how long his legs were. His laugh was whipped away by the wind, and I laughed with him. The speed was exhilarating, as was the cool night air that whipped my hair away from my face as we shot down streets and around tight corners.

It was an amazing sensation, almost like flying, and I was a little sad when he pulled over at the curb outside of my home. He switched off the engine and jumped easily onto the sidewalk. I climbed off as well, careful to keep my dress down far enough that Soul didn't see anything important. He smirked at my less than subtle attempts to keep from flashing him, and I fought the urge to blush.

"Should I walk you to the door?" he asked, offering me his arm.

I giggled and shook my head.

"If you want to, but you don't have to."

He left his arm out, and I gingerly placed a hand on it. He walked me to the front door, but didn't leave.

"So why couldn't you drive yourself home?" he asked on the welcome mat. "You're old enough for a license."

I grimaced.

"Long story."

"I've got time."

"Won't your parents miss you?"

He made a face.

"Not likely. I'm emancipated."

I frowned, but didn't ask. If he wanted me to know, I was sure that he would tell me.

"So, are you or aren't you going to tell me why you don't have—what was that?"

"What was what?"

"That. Listen." He frowned, and put his ear to the door. Oh, dear Lord, I knew exactly what _that_ was.

"Ah, I'm sure it's nothing," I said hastily. "Look, thanks for the ride Soul, but you—"

"Sh…" he whispered. "It's not _nothing_."

"Soul, you can go now," I said, mind racing. Oh God, please don't let him figure it out. _Please_.

He frowned at me, but before he could say anything the door swung open, and a voluptuous woman with mussed hair, splotchy cheeks, and clothing that revealed more than it covered strutted out of the house. She didn't even look at me as she gave a flirtatious wave and sultry smile toward the open door before she pranced away down the walk.

My face burned with shame and anger, and the heat only rose when Soul came around the door that had temporarily blocked him from my sight. His brow was furrowed, his lips pursed.

"Maka, what—" he started, then cut himself off at the look on my face.

"Just go, Soul," I bit off, already stalking for the doorway. His hand shot out to catch my forearm, but I stepped out of his reach.

"Maka, come on. Who was that chick?"

"I don't know," I snapped, seething. "It's a different one every time. Now, go _home_."

The color drained from his face.

"But why—"

"_Go home_!" I shouted.

He gave me a confused, curious look, and if I wasn't mistaken, he appeared almost _concerned_. But, after a light pause, he bowed his head.

"Alright then. See you around I guess, Maka."

He turned around and walked slowly down the path to his bike. He climbed on, turned the key in the ignition, but hesitated before taking off. He looked back up at me, his scarlet gaze searching. Then he shook his head and, with a loud roar, he and his bike were gone.


	4. Wanna Dance?

_**Wow, I'm a little surprised at the response this story's already gotten. Thanks for the support everyone, and read on! Yeah, I know Maka's getting a bit too comfortable with Soul already, but the story's not going to be long, and I still wanted to capture their meeting. Plus, I wanted it to be one of those from-the-start type things. Oh, and I want to make something clear later in the story; Crona is a guy.**_

I was dreading going to school in the morning. Death only knew how many people Soul would have told about last night.

_Stupid papa_, I sighed mentally, getting ready to leave.

"Maka!" came a cry from down the hall.

Damnit, he'd woken up.

A tall, gangly, red-haired fiend came barreling down the hall, nearly tackling me to the ground. As it was, he crushed me so hard to his chest that I couldn't breathe.

"Maka! Papa loves you!" he wailed, clutching me to him. "Papa loves you! Papa's sorry! Don't be mad!"

In the next instant, he was twitching on the ground, a hard cover _Harry Potter_ book lodged in his head. I always kept a book handy for self-defense. They were great weapons. I frowned and read the cover. Ah, it was _The Deathly Hallows_. Yeah, that was the largest one out of them, I think.

"It's gonna take a lot more than _sorry _for me not to be mad at you, womanizer," I spat, throwing my bag over my shoulder. "You just won't stop, and I'm damn glad that I'll be gone in less than a year."

He twitched again, and I spun on my heel and stomped out the door. My bus stop was just down the street, and it didn't take long for me to walk there. My stomach was churning, prepared to face the scorn of an entire high school where any problem at home eventually turned into a problem there as well. I knew I would never hear the end of it from the popular ring leaders, and even the math geeks would probably be jumping at the chance for someone else to torment. Oh, well, may as well stand up and face it. No problem was ever solved by running away.

The bus pulled up and I climbed on, bracing myself for a flurry of mocking voices. But none came. The chatter on the bus didn't pause when I flung myself into the front seat. Huh. Had Soul not told anyone yet?

I wanted to smack myself.

Duh, of course he hadn't told anybody yet! It was past midnight last night when he found out. Without a doubt, the school would know by the end of the day though. I slumped down against my seat, so not looking forward to the day.

* * *

I hadn't realized how many of my classes Soul was in. We had seven class periods a day, plus homeroom as the eighth. He was in my Human Resources class, my History of the Arts class, English, and Homeroom. First, fourth, seventh and eighth.

I walked into my first period classroom, not looking around as per usual, and took my seat in the exact center of the class, reaching into my bag for a notebook and a pencil. When I finally looked around the class to get some clue as to what we might be doing today, my chest squeezed. Scarlet eyes were trained on me from the back corner of the room. Heat crept up my neck, and I turned away quickly. I'd never noticed him in class before.

For the rest of the period, I was tense and anxious, just waiting to receive a disdainful note or for someone to drop a not-so-subtle hint about dysfunctional families that fell apart because of a slutty parent. But, none of that happened, and I hurried from the room when the bell rang, confused but slightly relieved.

By fourth period, I'd started to relax. Not one person had said anything to me about my father, not one person had made fun of me. Nothing. I got the same level of attention from the populars that I always did—which was to say, none—and the math geeks, who happened to be my friends, kept laying on their weak jokes and talking about Pythagorean triples and pi.

In History of the Arts, there was no seating chart, but I sat in the same place every day; one row up from the back, against a wall right by a window. It was a good spot. I could watch birds flying by, I got to enjoy a warm breeze, and the smell of summer blossoms would drift in and fill my nose. The person that usually sat behind me was a girl of average height, with shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair that was almost pink. I think her name was Kim. Sometimes, if the lecture got too boring, we would pass notes back and forth, but I was usually riveted on the subject. It was interesting, in my opinion, to know where Calypso music started, or how people first made paintings or what the first material for sculptures was.

Kim wasn't there yet, but that didn't worry me. She was almost always late. I contented myself with looking out the window until the bell rang, watching hawks glide through the sky. A slight rustling sound in Kim's desk alerted me that she was there. I was impressed. She'd actually gotten here before the bell rang. More often than not she would be hanging with her boyfriend Ox Ford right up until the bell.

I smiled as Ms Marie came in, scribbling furiously on a clipboard. She was by far my favorite teacher. She was very funny, and a bit scatter-brained. She was a true romantic, and it wasn't hard to distract her in class. But she was really sweet, and she would always try to make time for any of her students if they needed help on something. A lot of girls went to her for advice on relationships, which I thought was hilarious, because she was nothing if not overwhelming to most guys that she dated. You'd have to be mad to be able to handle her.

"Alright, role," she called to the class. She was the only teacher to take role, because the rest took attendance based on who was in their assigned seats. "Maka Albarn?"

"Present!" I called from my seat.

Ms Marie smiled at me and put a mark on the clipboard, probably by my name. I looked back out the window, until a name caught my attention. Or, more accurately, the lack of answer from the name.

"Kim Diehl?" Ms Marie said. No answer. "No Kim?"

Ms Marie sighed.

"Probably late again. Oh, well. Alright, is Soul Evans present?"

I stiffened.

"I'm here."

It came from right behind me. It took all my willpower not to spin around and stare at him, or else leap to my feet and switch seats. But, that would be an elementary response, and I was not so immature. So I sat where I was, hands fisted in my lap, so tense that a single blow may have shattered me.

When Ms Marie finished taking attendance, she set the clipboard on her desk and smiled warmly at the class.

"Alright, class, today we'll be studying dance. More accurately, we _will_ be dancing."

I rolled my eyes.

"Ms Marie, you forgot your lesson plan at home again, didn't you?" I asked with a grin. She only did these kind of lessons when she didn't have a real one planned out.

"Of course not!" Ms Marie huffed in mock indignation. Then she chuckled. "Well, alright, maybe I did. Regardless, we're dancing today, and you'll be graded on participation. If you kids would, could you push all the desks to the side? We need room."

Obediently we all rose and, with a loud scraping of chairs, dragged the desks out from the center of the room. When the center was clear, we all milled about, unsure what to do next.

"Alright, ladies, line up on one side, and guys, line up on the other."

There was a mad scramble as students tried to figure out which direction each gender was supposed to be going. There were a few collisions, but luckily everyone in my class had pretty thick skulls, so there was no permanent damage, clearly. Eventually, though, the guys were lined up on the left side of the class room, and the girls were at attention across from them.

"Okay, I'll read off your partners. If you want to trade your partner with someone else, just make sure everyone's okay with it, and don't do it when I can hear. I'm not supposed to condone that kind of thing as a teacher, but I think it's better that you dance with someone that you don't fantasize about killing. Maybe that's just me." The class laughed at Ms Marie.

She closed her eyes and put a finger randomly on her role sheet. She opened her eyes to look at it, then scanned the row of girls.

"Jackie, you are with…" She pointed to another name, _supposedly_ without looking. "Harvar."

I barely refrained from snorting in amusement, because that matchup was most certainly _not_ random. Anybody could tell how those two were clearly hot for each other. Ms Marie was trying to play match maker again.

"Hiro, you're with Sara. Crona, you are with Kim—oops, she's not he—"

"I'm here! I'm here!" shouted a voice, and Kim hurried into the room. "Sorry I'm late!"

Marie sighed.

"Kim, stay after class. But for now, Crona will be your dance partner."

Kim raised an eyebrow.

"Forget your lesson plan, Ms Marie?"

Marie flushed, and her eyes sparked. We all recognized that look, and cowered away from the teacher. Kim bowed her head and hurried to put her things on an empty desk before standing beside Crona. Marie went through several more pairs, then paused to check who hadn't been called. She glanced up, raised both of her gold brows at someone in the guys' line, and unsuccessfully tried to contain a smile. She looked back down at the list of names, and the sudden offhandedness of her tone made me sure that she was up to something.

"Soul, you will be with…" I locked my jaw. "Maka."

I pressed my lips together and threw a look around. Sure enough, in the direction Marie had looked, a pale-haired boy was watching me with intense scarlet eyes.

I barely bit back a curse as Marie told us to get with our partners. Why, oh why, did she have to partner me with him?

"Hey Maka," Soul said, approaching me.

"Hi," I answered stiffly. Quickly I looked around; Ms Marie had pulled Kim aside and was talking to her.

"You gonna tell me what happened last night?" he asked in a low voice.

"You already know what happened." Equally soft. "You gonna tell me why you haven't told anyone?"

He looked shocked by my question.

"Why in Death's name would I do that?"

"Because it's a piece of gossip. Most people here would _love _to send something like that around."

He smirked.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that I'm not _most people_. I would never go around talking about something like that. That wouldn't be very cool at all, would it?"

"No," I answered quietly. "I guess not."

I looked him over, head to toe. Soul certainly was different, with his pale hair and red eyes and weird teeth. But it was more than that. He seemed almost decent, and I could believe that he might actually respect other people's privacy. When I met his eyes again, he was grinning impishly.

"See something you like?"

I couldn't help but giggle as he repeated the line I'd fed him at Liz's party.

"I'm not sure yet."

Soul chuckled.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to work on that."

"Alright class, line up with the men on the left and ladies on the right. Guys, put your right hand on the back of their shoulder blade, and hold your left hand out, palm facing up."

Soul followed these instructions without hesitation.

"Hey Maka?" he said, laughter still in his voice.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna dance?"

"Sure," I laughed. "Why not?"


	5. A Leap of Faith

Weeks passed and turned into months. I finally made Tsubaki proud by branching out. Liz and Pati turned out to be cool—scratch that, awesome—friends, and we started hanging out more and more. BlackStar, though obnoxious, proved to be one of the most loyal guys I had ever met, and he treated Tsubaki very well. Kid, Liz and Pati's friend, was fairly calm and smart most of the time, and he was really fun to talk to, but he had occasional OCD attacks in which he madly tried to make everything he saw perfectly symmetrical.

And Soul became one of my very best friends. He never brought up that humiliating night when we first met, and for that I was grateful. He was super loyal to his friends, no matter how it might affect him later. For the most part, he was pretty nice, but, as he was a teenage boy, he still complained and spouted irritating quips sometimes. But he always made time for his friends, and he was really funny, so that made up for his less-than-amiable qualities.

When Prom came around, Soul and I went as friends with the others, and had a blast. Tsubaki got her first kiss from BlackStar, and Liz and Pati put the most dirty dancers to shame.

Then, at graduation, I finally realized something that surprised me. My senior year had been, without a doubt, the best damn year of my life. I couldn't wait to see what the rest of my life would be like, with friends like mine. Because with friends like mine, I had learned that anything at all was possible.

I took a huge leap of faith, trusting that many people, but I didn't for a moment regret it. Sometimes, the risk was worth it, and this time was no different. That risk helped me build amazing friendships that were sure to last a lifetime.

* * *

**_Alrighty, that's the end of this one, but I'm considering a Part II. What do you guys think? It'd be a few years later, from Soul's POV_**


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